Compact

Nikon E series

The Nikon E series is a compact with a 2/3" sensor measuring 8.8 × 6.6 mm and 1.3 megapixels. Its crop factor is 3.93×, so a 50 mm lens frames like 197 mm on full frame. Every number below is calculated for this exact sensor.

2/3"3.93× crop1.3 MP
Nikon E series camera
Photo: Rama, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, via Wikimedia Commons
3.93×
Crop factor
8.8×6.6 mm
Sensor size
58 mm²
Area · 7% of full frame
1.3 MP
Resolution
6.88 µm
Pixel pitch
f/10.2
Diffraction-limited aperture

Specifications#

Brand
Nikon
Model
E series
Camera type
Compact
Sensor size
8.8 × 6.6 mm (2/3" sensor)
Crop factor
3.93×
Resolution
1.3 MP (1,280 × 1,000 px)
Continuous shooting
1 fps
Weight
850 g (30.0 oz)
Sensor
2/3 inch CCD VT (vacant Transfer) type with reduction optical system
Storage
PCMCIA Image Memory Card EC-15
Viewfinder
Optical type fixed eye level pentaprism Approx. 98% frame coverage, Approx. 0.7x magnification
AF points / area
TTL phase detection system using Nikon Advanced AM200 autofocus module
Metering
Matrix Metering: EV 1 to 16-1/3, Center-Weighted Metering (70% centre): EV 1 to 20, Spot Metering: EV 2 to 20
Exposure modes
Program (P), Shutter-Priority AE (S), Aperture-Priority AE (A) and Manual (M)
Flash
Speedlights supported, Standard TTL Flash possible
Battery
Ni-MH Battery Pack EN-3
Lens
Interchangeable, Nikon F mount
Drive
E3: 1 frame/s; E3s: 3 frame/s up to 12 images

Specifications merged from Wikipedia. Spot an error? Tell us.

Sensor size compared#

Four Thirds / Micro Four Thirds1" (one-inch) sensorNikon E series1/2.3" sensor
The Nikon E series sensor (highlighted) drawn to scale against common formats. Its area is 7% of a full-frame sensor, which collects about 3.9 stops less total light at the same exposure.

Focal length equivalents & field of view#

Multiply any focal length by 3.93 to get the full-frame field of view. For fixed-lens cameras use the real focal length printed on the lens (e.g. “6.1–18.3 mm”), not the 35 mm equivalent.

Lens on this cameraFull-frame equivalentHorizontalVerticalDiagonal
4 mm16 mm95.5°79.0°107.9°
4.5 mm18 mm88.7°72.5°101.4°
5 mm20 mm82.7°66.8°95.5°
6 mm24 mm72.5°57.6°85.0°
8 mm31 mm57.6°44.8°69.0°
10 mm39 mm47.5°36.5°57.6°
12 mm47 mm40.3°30.8°49.2°
15 mm59 mm32.7°24.8°40.3°
20 mm79 mm24.8°18.7°30.8°
25 mm98 mm20.0°15.0°24.8°
30 mm118 mm16.7°12.6°20.8°
40 mm157 mm12.6°9.4°15.7°
50 mm197 mm10.1°7.6°12.6°
70 mm275 mm7.2°5.4°9.0°
100 mm393 mm5.0°3.8°6.3°
150 mm590 mm3.4°2.5°4.2°

Depth of field table#

Total depth of field at each subject distance, using a circle of confusion of 7.6 µm (the 0.030 mm full-frame standard scaled by the crop factor).

FocalAperture50.0 cm1.00 m2.00 m3.00 m5.00 m10.0 mHyperfocal
6 mmf/221.9 cm1.02 m11.8 m∞∞∞2.37 m
6 mmf/2.832.1 cm1.81 m∞∞∞∞1.69 m
6 mmf/450.8 cm5.80 m∞∞∞∞1.19 m
6 mmf/82.80 m∞∞∞∞∞59.6 cm
11 mmf/26.2 cm25.3 cm1.07 m2.64 m10.4 m∞7.94 m
11 mmf/2.88.7 cm36.0 cm1.60 m4.39 m39.2 m∞5.68 m
11 mmf/412.5 cm53.2 cm2.68 m10.5 m∞∞3.98 m
11 mmf/826.3 cm1.33 m∞∞∞∞1.99 m
19 mmf/22.0 cm8.3 cm33.7 cm76.8 cm2.20 m10.3 m23.7 m
19 mmf/2.82.8 cm11.6 cm47.5 cm1.09 m3.23 m18.1 m16.9 m
19 mmf/44.1 cm16.7 cm68.9 cm1.61 m5.12 m58.5 m11.9 m
19 mmf/88.2 cm34.1 cm1.51 m4.05 m28.9 m∞5.94 m
31 mmf/20.7 cm3.1 cm12.5 cm28.3 cm79.4 cm3.25 m63.0 m
31 mmf/2.81.0 cm4.3 cm17.5 cm39.8 cm1.12 m4.66 m45.0 m
31 mmf/41.5 cm6.2 cm25.1 cm57.1 cm1.62 m7.03 m31.5 m
31 mmf/83.0 cm12.4 cm50.8 cm1.17 m3.50 m21.1 m15.8 m

Equivalent aperture#

Exposure is identical at the same f-number on any format; equivalence only describes depth of field and total light.

Aperture on this cameraFull-frame equivalent (depth of field)Hyperfocal at 11 mm
f/1.2f/4.713.2 m
f/1.4f/5.511.3 m
f/1.8f/7.18.82 m
f/2f/7.97.94 m
f/2.8f/11.05.68 m
f/4f/15.73.98 m
f/5.6f/22.02.84 m
f/8f/31.51.99 m

Diffraction & pixel pitch#

With 6.88 µm pixels, diffraction starts to soften pixel-level detail around f/10.2. For maximum sharpness keep landscapes between f/5.6 and f/10; stopping down further trades detail for depth of field.

ApertureAiry disk diameterSpread overAt 100% view
f/2.83.8 µm0.5 pxsharp
f/45.4 µm0.8 pxsharp
f/5.67.5 µm1.1 pxsharp
f/810.7 µm1.6 pxsharp
f/1114.8 µm2.1 pxslight softening
f/1621.5 µm3.1 pxvisibly soft
f/2229.5 µm4.3 pxvisibly soft

Maximum print sizes#

At 1.3 MP the Nikon E series produces 1,280 × 1,000 pixel images. See the 2 megapixel guide or the print size calculator.

ResolutionTypical useInchesCentimetres
300 DPIPhoto-lab quality4.3 × 3.3 in11 × 8 cm
240 DPIFine-art inkjet5.3 × 4.2 in14 × 11 cm
200 DPIWall print6.4 × 5.0 in16 × 13 cm
150 DPIPoster, viewed from 1 m+8.5 × 6.7 in22 × 17 cm

Night-sky exposure limits#

Longest exposure before stars trail. The NPF rule accounts for pixel pitch and is stricter than the classic 500 rule — use it for pin-sharp stars on high-resolution sensors.

Focal length500 ruleNPF f/1.8NPF f/2.8NPF f/4
4 mm (16 mm eq.)31.8 s67.3 s76.1 s86.6 s
5 mm (20 mm eq.)25.4 s53.9 s60.9 s69.2 s
6 mm (24 mm eq.)21.2 s44.9 s50.7 s57.7 s
9 mm (35 mm eq.)14.1 s29.9 s33.8 s38.5 s
13 mm (51 mm eq.)9.8 s20.7 s23.4 s26.6 s

Open the NPF / 500 rule calculator →

Handheld shutter speed guide#

The reciprocal rule uses the equivalent focal length. High-resolution sensors may need one stop faster than this for pixel-sharp results.

Focal lengthNo stabilisation (1/equiv. focal)With 3-stop ISWith 5-stop IBIS
6 mm1/25 s0.3 s1.3 s
13 mm1/50 s1/6 s0.6 s
25 mm1/100 s1/13 s0.3 s
51 mm1/200 s1/25 s1/6 s

Lens#

The Nikon E series has a built-in, non-interchangeable lens. Use the real focal length of that lens with the tables above; its full-frame equivalent is that number × 3.93.

Frequently asked questions#

What is the crop factor of the Nikon E series?

The Nikon E series has a crop factor of 3.93× relative to 35 mm full frame (diagonal 11.0 mm vs 43.3 mm).

What size is the Nikon E series sensor?

8.8 × 6.6 mm (2/3"), an area of 58 mm² — 7% of full frame.

Is the Nikon E series full frame?

No — its sensor is 2/3", which is 14.9× smaller in area than full frame.

How many megapixels does the Nikon E series have?

1.3 megapixels (1,280 × 1,000 pixels), enough for a 4 × 3 inch print at 300 DPI.

How long can I expose the night sky with the Nikon E series?

With a 5 mm lens (20 mm equivalent) the 500 rule gives 25 s and the stricter NPF rule at f/2.8 gives 61 s.

Sources & licences#

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources

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